Posts Tagged ‘Mohamed ElBaradei’

Egypt’s interim government has named economist Hazem el-Beblawi as the prime minister, the post that was supposed to taken over by Mohamed ElBaradei until Salafist Muslims vehemently objected because of his liberal and secular views.

The Salafist Al Nour party agreed to the appointment of el-Beblawi, and the interim regime also appointed ElBaradei as vice president.

The prime minister will play an important part in a new constitution, which Egypt has unsuccessfully tried to write since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. One of the most sensitive items in the constitution will be the character of Egypt, which Al Nour wants to be Islamic.

Hundreds of thousands of supporters and opponents of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi took to the streets Sunday as Egyptian Air Force planes flew overhead, underscoring the military’s overbearing presence since placing Morsi under virtual house arrest last week.

Adding to the uncertainty in the air was Sunday’s resignation of Justice Minister Ahmed Suleiman, who will remain as caretaker until a new cabinet is formed.

Salafist Muslim leaders said they would refuse to agree to the “coup, “which appears to be Egypt’s answer to the American impeachment process. Pro-Morsi supporters erected barricades near Cairo University and closed the main highway to the capital’s international airport.

Pro-Morsi supporters refuse to accept the appointment of Mohammed ElBaradei as president, who had been named as president by caretaker president Adly Mansour, whose office later said no decision has been made.

Morsi remains in custody and still insists he is the legitimate president of Egypt.

Egypt’s new president has backed away from announcing that pro-reform leader Mohamed ElBaradei would be the interim prime minister, ANI reports.

A spokesman for interim President Adly Mansour said that discussions of the interim prime minister continued.

He mentioned no other candidates but said there was no set date for the appointment of interim prime minister.

Earlier Saturday, opposition officials said ElBaradei was summoned by Mansour and would be sworn in later in the day as interim prime minister.

The spokesman denied reports that the appointment of the Nobel Peace laureate was ever certain.

According to Fox News, a senior opposition official, Munir Fakhry Abdelnur, said that the reversal was because the ultraconservative Salafi el-Nour party objected to ElBardei’s appointment.

A senior Muslim Brotherhood spokesman told Reuters the group rejects ElBaradei’s appointment as prime minister and Brotherhood supporters have vowed to continue their protests until former president Mohamed Morsi — Egypt’s first democratically elected president — is returned to power.

After a night of clashes that claimed at least 36 lives and injured more than 200, both sides appeared to be preparing for the possibility of more violence.

In a further sign of concern the unrest, President Mansour held talks with army chief and Defense Minister General Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, and Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim.

Mansour also met with leaders of Tamrod, or Rebel, the youth movement that organized the mass anti-Morsi demonstrations, the report added.